The background to this study is the high employee turnover that prevails in the grocery retail. The personnel management in the organisation is considered to have the opportunity to influence the employee turnover and the possibility of influence varies depending on the position. A middle manager is the manager who works closest to the employees and can thus affect the employee turnover in different ways. For example, the middle manager can influence this by creating a group where everyone feels involved. In addition to this, there are a number of studies that show that the relationship with the immediate manager is of importance for whether or not the employee chooses to remain within the organisation. The social relationships between middle managers and employees are important for employees´ choices in remaining within the organisation. Furthermore, employeeship is mentioned as a prerequisite for the employee to not quit. Since a number of studies mention the importance of well–functioning social relations between employees and middle managers, the study's authors have chosen to apply the LMX theory in the study. The LMX theory concerns the purpose of the study–to create an understanding of how the social relationships between employees and middle managers can be shaped and developed to create trust in the grocery retail. The present study has a qualitative approach and the data collection consists of ten semi–structured interviews with both employees and middle managers in the grocery retail. The empirical study shows that the respondents are concerned about the social relationships and consider these as a prerequisite for the organization to function in a desirable way. The empirical material identifies a number of key concepts that contribute to the study's analysis. Some of the concepts that were brought up in the social relationships were respect, responsiveness, communication and feedback. During the interviews, a number of different factors were identified that are considered to lead to high–quality social relationships between employees and middle managers. The conclusions show the importance that both middle managers and employees show an interest in each other and the will to deepen their social relationships. It also appears that none of the parties can perform in a desirable way if there is a lack of well-functioning social relationships. The high–quality relationships are determined by the personal chemistry and commitment to deepen the relationship. Trust must exist between middle managers and employees for a well–functioning social interaction, regardless of the nature of the relationship to each other. / Bakgrunden till denna studie är den höga personalomsättningen som råder inom dagligvaruhandeln. Organisationens personalledning anses ha möjlighet att påverka personalomsättningen och möjligheten till inflytande varierar beroende på befattning. En mellanchef är den chef som finns närmast till hand för medarbetaren, vilket gör att hen kan påverka personalomsättningen på olika sätt. Exempelvis kan mellanchefen påverka detta genom att skapa en grupp där alla känner delaktighet. Utöver detta finns det ett antal studier som visar att relationen till den närmaste chefen är av betydelse för huruvida medarbetaren väljer att stanna kvar inom organisationen eller inte. De sociala relationerna mellanchef–medarbetare är betydelsefulla för att medarbetaren ska välja att stanna kvar i organisationen. Vidare nämns också medarbetarskap som en förutsättning för att medarbetaren inte ska lämna. Eftersom ett flertal studier nämner vikten av välfungerade sociala relationer mellan medarbetare och mellanchef har studiens författare valt att utgå från LMX–teorin. LMX–teorin berör studiens syfte–att skapa förståelse för hur de sociala relationerna mellan medarbetare och mellanchef kan formas och utvecklas för att skapa förtroende i dagligvaruhandeln. Föreliggande studie har kvalitativ ansats och datainsamlingen består av tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med både medarbetare och mellanchefer inom dagligvaruhandeln. I studiens empiri framgår att respondenterna är måna om de sociala relationerna och ser dessa som en förutsättning för att organisationen ska fungera på ett önskvärt sätt. I det empiriska materialet identifieras ett antal nyckelbegrepp som sedan bidrar till studiens analys. Några av de begrepp som uppkom gällande de sociala relationerna var respekt, lyhördhet, kommunikation och feedback. Vid intervjuerna identifierades ett antal olika faktorer som anses leda till högkvalitativa sociala relationer mellan medarbetare och mellanchef. I studiens slutsatser framgår vikten av att både mellanchefer och medarbetare visar intresse för varandra och är villiga att fördjupa de sociala relationerna. Det framgår också att ingen av parterna kan utföra sitt arbete på ett önskvärt sätt om det råder brist på välfungerande sociala relationer. De högkvalitativa relationerna avgörs av personkemin samt engagemang för att fördjupa relationen. Förtroende måste finnas mellan mellanchef och medarbetare för ett välfungerade socialt samspel, oavsett relationens art till varandra.

The purpose of this study was to determine if participation in a supermarket tour improves nutrition knowledge and eating behavior in adult participants. Participants were recruited in communities surrounding Food City stores, a local supermarket. Prior to completing a standardized tour, participants completed a survey to assess nutrition knowledge and eating behavior. This survey was given to participants again three months later. A program evaluation was given one time at the end of the tour. Data analysis revealed no significant findings, other than the behavior-based question: “How many meals or snacks on most days included vegetables”. Vegetable consumption appeared to decrease. All participants who completed the program evaluation reported they learned something new as a result of the tour and were satisfied with the experience. These findings suggest that nutrition education provided in supermarkets is well-received by participants, but additional research with objective measures is needed.

Since the late 1990's, "food deserts" have dominated the academic and policy literature on food access and food security. Food deserts are defined as areas that lack easy access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food, and are typically measured using Geographic Information Systems and spatial data sets. However, while food deserts may provide a useful measure for identifying food insecurity at a broad scale, they fail to account for individual definitions and perceptions of food access (Barnes et al. 2015; McEntee 2009). Furthermore, the food desert model assumes a lack of agency on the part of low-income populations (Alkon et al. 2013), and ignores other factors of food access, such as walkability, grocery store safety, customer service, and personal preference. In this research, I examine the food access perceptions of residents, non-profit employees, and business owners in the Lents neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Although Lents is classified as a food desert, there is also an abundance of ethnic grocers and specialty markets within the neighborhood. These grocers reflect the neighborhood's racial and cultural diversity, and are often overlooked by the spatial datasets typically used to measure food access. The research that I conducted in Lents revealed a disconnect between how the residents I interviewed perceive their food environment, and how government, non-profits employees, and business owners within the neighborhood view local food access. The findings underscore the importance of factors other than physical proximity when measuring food access, and also show the importance of ethnic and specialty markets in the landscape. These findings support the assertion that binary measures of food access often fail to capture the complexities of individual perceptions of food access (Alkon et al. 2013).

近年來由於資訊科技的發達與通訊網路的開放，國內流通業者逐漸意識到資訊科技的可得性與重要性，尤其是電子資料交換(EDI) 近來在國內更是方興未艾，成為業者因應通路革命的一大競爭武器。本研究主要是探討行銷通路與 EDI的互動關係，分析 EDI應用對通路體系效益的影響以及個別通路成員所分配到的成本效益，並說明第三者機構 (如政府單位與加值網路業者) 在推動 EDI 交易的角色定位。本研究屬於探索性研究，主要是藉由實地訪談國內食品飲料業的上中下游廠商，參考國外相關文獻，以探討通路成員目標、政府機構、組織特質對 EDI應用策略的影響，進一步分析 EDI交易對通路結構、通路關係、及通路效益的衝擊。經由理論與實務之觸發印證，本研究發現在通路系統中，由於零售商與供應商的通路地位不同，不但引進 EDI的動機有所差異，由電子連線交易中所獲致的效益亦有層次之分。此外，在建立 EDI系統初期，政府機構的介入有其必要性，而加值網路業者在通路系統中的角色亦將益形重要。最後，必須強調的是 EDI系統雖然對後勤活動的助益最顯而亦見，但是與 POS系統相結合應 用之後，將可幫助通路成員在行銷活動上發揮更大的效益。 EDI 對通路成員的長期涵義仍未十分明確，與交易對象建立電子連線也可能對組織造成複雜的管理問題，然而，EDI 將逐漸成為企業經營的必要方式，其對競爭態勢的衝擊值得吾人重視。

<p>The Swedish food retail market contains of three major actors, ICA, KF and Axfood, all in all dominating 75 percent of the total market shares. The scant number of retailing actors indicates that the Swedish food retail market is a highly concentrated oligopoly, which as a fact has given rise to definite discussions and argumentations concerning the market situation. But is the food retail market imperfect and how do we reach a workable competition? Economic theory does not provide any clear answer on these questions, but is rather divided into two fundamentally different approaches to define competition: the static and the dynamic perspective on competition. </p><p>In an attempt to examine the competition on local Swedish retail markets, the purpose of this study is to carry out an econometric model estimating the situation. The model serves to explain the variation of ICA’s achievements measured in terms of turnovers obtained in the company. The explanatory variables composing the model are divided into three separate groupings: degreeof market concentration, storespecific factors and region-specific factors. Furthermore, in order to find out which one of the competitive explanations best fits the reality, the regression results are interpreted from a static and a dynamic perspective of competition. In part, we also aim to compare the results with the outline of the Swedish competition law. </p><p>We found that the level of concentration obtained in our material is high and is steadily increasing. We also found that stores do not, in any great extent, use price, service and quality as competitive methods. Thus, to gain competitive advantage, market actors must find other ways to carry out strategic market activities. The region-specific variables had either none or very little influence on ICA’s turnover. According to these findings, neither the static nor the dynamic perspective of competition is solely able to produce an accurate method for reaching a state of a workable competition. Instead, a combination of the static and the dynamic ideas may be regarded as the most advantageous way to generate suitable conditions for competition to be efficient. Therefore, in order to promote workable competition, the Swedish competition law must consist of a balance between the static and the dynamic view of competition.</p>

<p>Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research. The theoretical framework of the paper includes the following topics: role and importance of innovation in a business context and TBSS as innovation as well as product life cycle connected to innovation; competitive advantage theory and complementary concepts, value chain theory, and finally the importance of customer relationship management in the ‘new’ self-service economy. The empirical study consists of two Swedish supermarkets in the city of Linköping, Coop Forum and ICA Maxi. Results of the research paper mainly include the following: Changes brought about by implementing technology-based self-service systems in supermarkets must be discussed in the view of short-term and long- term perspectives separately. Changes involve the value creating activities of supermarkets and include increased quality of services to customers. It has been further found that TBSS can add to the competitiveness of supermarkets. However, positive financial results can only be expected in the long-term which in the case of Swedish supermarkets offering TBSS services is not yet apparent. The empirical findings have shown that Coop Forum and ICA Maxi had to carry out changes and make adjustments to their value activities and customer relationship management in order to operate TBSS checkouts successfully. Competitiveness between them has been also affected due to the TBSS service offering.</p>

The Swedish food retail market contains of three major actors, ICA, KF and Axfood, all in all dominating 75 percent of the total market shares. The scant number of retailing actors indicates that the Swedish food retail market is a highly concentrated oligopoly, which as a fact has given rise to definite discussions and argumentations concerning the market situation. But is the food retail market imperfect and how do we reach a workable competition? Economic theory does not provide any clear answer on these questions, but is rather divided into two fundamentally different approaches to define competition: the static and the dynamic perspective on competition. In an attempt to examine the competition on local Swedish retail markets, the purpose of this study is to carry out an econometric model estimating the situation. The model serves to explain the variation of ICA’s achievements measured in terms of turnovers obtained in the company. The explanatory variables composing the model are divided into three separate groupings: degreeof market concentration, storespecific factors and region-specific factors. Furthermore, in order to find out which one of the competitive explanations best fits the reality, the regression results are interpreted from a static and a dynamic perspective of competition. In part, we also aim to compare the results with the outline of the Swedish competition law. We found that the level of concentration obtained in our material is high and is steadily increasing. We also found that stores do not, in any great extent, use price, service and quality as competitive methods. Thus, to gain competitive advantage, market actors must find other ways to carry out strategic market activities. The region-specific variables had either none or very little influence on ICA’s turnover. According to these findings, neither the static nor the dynamic perspective of competition is solely able to produce an accurate method for reaching a state of a workable competition. Instead, a combination of the static and the dynamic ideas may be regarded as the most advantageous way to generate suitable conditions for competition to be efficient. Therefore, in order to promote workable competition, the Swedish competition law must consist of a balance between the static and the dynamic view of competition.

Technology based self-service (TBSS) used in supermarket self-scanning checkouts is a relatively new phenomenon in Sweden. Studies on TBSS as a self- checkout device have been formerly carried out but with focus on the customer perspective. The authors therefore saw a challenge in covering the self-scan checkout concept, from a company perspective. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate, through a management perspective, the changes brought about by implementing an innovative TBSS system in Swedish supermarkets, and its effect on the competitiveness of the company. This is done by presenting and linking the theoretical framework and empirical study in the research. The theoretical framework of the paper includes the following topics: role and importance of innovation in a business context and TBSS as innovation as well as product life cycle connected to innovation; competitive advantage theory and complementary concepts, value chain theory, and finally the importance of customer relationship management in the ‘new’ self-service economy. The empirical study consists of two Swedish supermarkets in the city of Linköping, Coop Forum and ICA Maxi. Results of the research paper mainly include the following: Changes brought about by implementing technology-based self-service systems in supermarkets must be discussed in the view of short-term and long- term perspectives separately. Changes involve the value creating activities of supermarkets and include increased quality of services to customers. It has been further found that TBSS can add to the competitiveness of supermarkets. However, positive financial results can only be expected in the long-term which in the case of Swedish supermarkets offering TBSS services is not yet apparent. The empirical findings have shown that Coop Forum and ICA Maxi had to carry out changes and make adjustments to their value activities and customer relationship management in order to operate TBSS checkouts successfully. Competitiveness between them has been also affected due to the TBSS service offering.

Introduction: The retail market in the 21st century will be determined on how quickly and efficiently the retailer can respond to shifts in consumer demands. Due to the physical environment of the store (store value) and the interaction with the consumer (shopping trip value), the local retail store has the advantage of generating this tangible and intangible information. It is then of importance that this information will be transferred towards the retailer, who has the opportunity to use this information and generate it into outputs that can be used as negoitables; this value creation process is an unique success indicator for creating a value network within retail supply chain. Purpose: The aim of this research is to present an understanding on the value creation process in the grocery retail chain. Methodology: Having an inductive nature, this thesis tried to bring a new understanding on value creation in grocery retail business, by using hermeneutics as a methodology approach. For empirical study, the qualitative approach was used. Data was collected through open-ended interviews with representatives in grocery retail chains. Conclusion: The main players in the value network were determined in a grocery retail chain as retailer, local retail store and other stores in the chain; and the suppliers. An intensive value exchange between the retail store and the retailer was found and following that, it was concluded that the retailer converts the value input from the local retail store into tangible and intangible value outputs towards suppliers. Combining the conclusions, the research defines that a value network is existing, but on a very low level. But more to the point, the study shows the importance of value creation by the retail chain, and that creating the possibility to share information about products, in-store experience, consumer knowledge, and consumer requirements is one of the biggest advantage the grocery retail chain has to develop this value network further.

Aim: The concept of CSR is getting more attention among various fields but there has been a lack of research in enhancing the awareness of CSR within the field of retailing. In order to fill this gap, the aim of this study is to investigate the significance of CSR and green marketing (ecological labels) in the business of retailing while evaluating the affect of it on consumer behavior.   Method: Case study research method is opted for this study to answer “why” and “how” questions. Furthermore, quantitative data has been collected through in store and online customer interview. The research data is analysed by using Microsoft Office Excel.   Result &amp; Conclusions: The result shows that CSR is well incorporated and practiced by ICA Kvantum, AB. Their business philosophy is focused on customer, product, environment, diversity and community. They provide environmental and organic products by abiding the rules and law of goods production that also protects the environment. Moreover, the quantitative study reveals that Swedish female consumer between the ages of 26-35 are more responsible towards environment. It also shows that most of the consumers are still buying conventional (non-ecological) products and majority of them don’t check eco-labels before purchasing but they are willing to pay more for ecological and organic foods. Thus, CSR and green marketing affects consumer buying behavior through different ways.   Suggestions for future research: The similar research can be performed by adopting qualitative data from company’s experts to record their perspective about CSR and green marketing. Moreover, it would be interesting to investigate multiple retail companies operating in different cities. Furthermore, it could give innovative results, if the study investigates the link of trust and loyalty on consumer behavior, as they are the key components in consumer purchase decision.   Contribution of the study: This study identifies and explains the concept of CSR and the important elements of CSR in grocery retailing. The novel concept of green marketing and ecological products has been studied in relation to consumer behavior. The investigation of CSR and green marketing on consumer behavior is a unique combination which has not investigated extensively within the field of grocery retailing.